Electric meter mounting



Javn. 1l, 1938. H A, BAKKE 2,105,396-

ELECTRI C METER MOUNT ING Filed May 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Shet: l"

f 'lfllu nu m IVm/erwtor Hams Aakhe,

His ttorrweg Jan. 11, 1938. .H. A. BAKKE 2,105,396

ELECTRIC METER MOUNTING Filed May 9, 1935 2 Shees-Sheel 2 LOAD Inventor; Hans A.' BaKKe,

His Attorrweg UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC METER MOUNTING Hans A. Bakke, Swampscott, Mass., asslgnor to General Electric Company, a corporation of l New York Application May 9, 1935, Serial No. 20,592

15 Claims.

My invention relates to electrical instruments and mountings for such devices. It concerns particularly mounting arrangements for detachable integrating meters.

It is an object of my invention to provide a compact, serviceable mounting arrangement for universal detachable meters adapted to widely varying conditions of operation and installation.

Another object of my. invention is to'provide an easily detachable electrical devicev which is automatically connected into an `electrical circuit when it is mounted in place and which automatically short-circuits the connecting contacts when the device is removed in order to maintain the continuity of the electrical circuits.

It is another object to provide such a device with a disconnect 'feature to permit causing the electrical circuit to remain open when the device is mounted in place.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a mounting socket for a detachable electrical device, particularly one having fourv connection clips in which the electrical device will be receivable in the same position although the mounting socket may have been rotated into different angular positions.

Other and further objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

2in accordance'with my invention inI its preferred form as applied specifically to universal detachable integrating meters, I provide any desired type of integrating meter mounted on a base plate with contact prongs extending through the base plate and a socket or receptacle for receiving such a meter with split terminal clips for receiving the Contact prongs.

The terminal clips are slotted both lengthwise and crosswise and both the contact prongs and the terminal clips are placed at the corners of a square to permit inserting the meter into the socket in any one of four different relative angular positions.

The

socket is provided with a pair of oppositelylocated threaded conduit-receiving openings so that the same sockets may be employed in installations o where the conduits are run vertically as where they are run horizontally without changing the normal position of the integrating meter.

Short-circuiting jumpers are provided between the terminal clips in the meter-receiving socket, which connect corresponding contact clips to maintain continuity of service when the meter is removed but are depressed out' of engagement when the meter is inserted in mit the electrical circuits through the meter windings.

the socket to perto be completed One or more of the terminal'clips are. slidably mounted so that they may be moved away from ,the position which will be occupied by the contact prong of the meter when mounted in order to leave the meter disconnected from the circuit even when it is mounted in position.

The features of my invention which are believed to be novel and patentable will be pointed out in the claims appended hereto. A more complete understanding of my invention may be obtained from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a detachable meter mechanism and a mounting socket adapted to receive the meter mechanism; Fig.'2 is a plan view oi the socket; Fig. 3 is a vertical section cut by the plane 3-3 shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detailed view illustrating the manner in which the circuit-maintaining jumpers make contact; Fig. 5 'is a detailed View. of the slidabie terminal. clip showing the cross section cut by the plane 5-5 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the manner in which the clip serves as a circuit disconnector;Y Fig. 6 is a view of the section cut by the plane 6-6 through the circuit-maintaining jumper partially illustrated in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the slidable contact terminal clips illustrated in Figs, 2 and 5; Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are schematic diagrams illustrating the manner of using the meter receiving socket with conduit running in' various directions; Fig. ll is a fragmentary plan view of the socket showing the manner of inserting the circuit-maintaining jumper when the socket is arranged for horizontally-running conduit; Fig. 12 is a plan view of a terminal clip; and Fig. 13r is a fragmentary View of a modified terminal clip.

Referring .now more in detail to the drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference characters throughout, I have illustrated the .l

manner of carrying out my invention in detachable watt-hour meters but it Will be understood that my invention is not limited thereto but is applicable to detachable electrical devices of any kind. In 'Fig 1 is shown a watt-hour meter mechanism I I of any suitable type, preferably enclosed in' a protecting cup-shaped glass case I2 and mounted upon a base plate I3 serving both as a closure for the glass case I2 and as a mounting for the meter mechanism and its contact terminals. The contact terminals of the meter mechanism take the form of flat contact prongs I4 projecting4 through the base plate I3. l There is provided also a receptacle or Socket I5 for' receiving the meter mechanism II and i CJD Gil

comprising a shallow cup-shaped base l having mounted therein split terminal clips i6, il', i8, and i9 adapted to cooperate with the terminal prongs lll. ln order to provide a weatherproof closure protecting the terminals, order to permit mounting the meter mechanism more securely upon the socket l5, and in order to permit locking or sealing these members together, the meter unit i l may be provided with a cover rim 2B and the meter-receiving socket be provided with a ange 2i cooperating with the cover rim 2li.

g e meterunit ll and the terminal chamber termed by the socket l5.

insulating blocks 2li and are secured te tl bottom wall of the socket for supporting l insulating the terminal clips i c, and l. Screw terminals Eil, 25, Eli, and E are als mountu ed upon the insulating blocks and to permit connecting the terminal clips .l "il r lil to the line conductors ci an electrical circuit in which the electrical meter is to be connected. The socket l5 is provided with oppositely placed openings 25 and 23 to permit the entry o; conductors for connection to the te 2 2li, 2B, and 2l. Preferably, the walls of the socket l5 are reenforced inwardly extendnig nipples at the openings and C1 and these are threaded to receive conduit ol the type usuallyr employed for enclosing electrical conductors. The insulating blocks and 23 may formed with upwardly extending cailles between line terminals 2li and and between line terminals 2t and El in order to guard more eectively against short-circuits between conductors con.- nected to these terminals. ins' -ating blocks and 23 may also be provide nth upwardly extending shields to agwnst grounding electrical conductors against the side walls of the socket l5. A

Each of the terminal clips fili, consists of parallel strip portions r (Figs. 'l and l2) between which a longitudinal slot is formed, cooperating with prongs lll of the meter mechanism ll. The inner surfaces of the longitudinal slot provided between these strip portions 3d obviously serve as contact surfaces to :form electrical contact with the outer surfaces of the prongs lll. rEhe terminal clips l?, itl, and may be formed in any suitable manner to provide such a. horizontal slot. However, for the sake of obtaining resiliency in the engagement between the slot and the contact prongs and for the sake or convenience and economy in. manufacture, the terminal clips may conveniently be formed from a single strip of conducting metal with the ends doubled back and the center bent up in the form ci. a lJ in the manner shown in Fig. 7 to provide the strip portions 34 forming the longitudinal slot. The resultant shape may be described as a reentrant U with the originally central portions 36 of the strip forming the arms of the main U and the portions 3d forming the reentrant ends.

The terminal clips it to IS are also slotted crosswise to form contact edges 35 adapted to make electrical contact with the prongs I4 when the latter are inserted crosswise into the cross slots formed between the contact edges 35 in the terminal clips i6 to I9. The terminal clips lli, and

may be made to receive the prongs i4 resiliently also when inserted crosswise into the cross slots by making the cross slots wider in the strip portions 38 than in the strip portions 34, as illustrated in Fig. 12, so that the contact with the prongs i4 takes place primarily at the edges 35 at the centers of the split terminal clips.

Ir" additional contact is considered essential when the prongs i4 are inserted crosswisc, thc cross slots may be of the same width in both portions 34 and 3 of the terminal clips. Still greater contact area for the crosswise positions the Contact prongs I4, without sacrificing siliency of engagement, may be obtained by stening angle strips 35 to the strip portions 34 any suitable manner as by soldering or weldng; or, if desired, the terminal clips may be ormed from strips with transversely extending L`ortions at the ends, which may be doubled back upon the portions 34 to :Form the angle portio; s 35.

Preferably, the contact clips l5, il, i3, and le e so mounted that the adjacent terminal clips a h ve their contact suraces perpendicular but the diagonally opposite clips have their Contact surfaces parallel. ln this manner, a xcd distance between the terminal clips at adjacent corners of a square can more readily be obtained slight discrepancies in the spacing oi the terminal clips or of the prongs lll will be allowed for by the lateral yielding of the terminal clip receiving the contact prong in its longitudinal slot. A similar result might also be accomplished the contact prongs i4 were arranged with adjacent prongs in perpendicular planes. Cross slots in the clips lil-l 3 would not then be required. However, the prongs i4 are shown parallel since this is the arrangement which has been adopted as standard for detachable meters of the socket type by various meter manufacturers.

One or more of the terminal clips are provided with tongues 3l having slots 3l in order to perinit the terminal clip to be slidably mounted and to serve as a disconnect contact. This feature, shown as applied to terminal clips it and i9, is illustrated more in detail in Fig. 5 from which it will be seen that a relatively stili metallic strip 3S is provided which lies over the tongue 3l of the terminal clip. In order to clamp the strip 38 tightly against the tongue 3l of the terminal clip, a bolt 39 is provided having a nut 4Q cooperating therewith. When the nut 4l? is loosened, the terminal clip may be slid to the right (viewing Fig. 5) in order to be in the proper position to receive the prong i4 or may be slid to the lett away from the position which the prong lil would occupy when the meter mechanism is mounted upon the socket l5 in order to prevent completing an electrical circuit through the meter winding.

Preferably a nut 4l is an ordinary screw driver instead of a special s Wrench may be employed for manipulating the nut 40 and the sliding contact clip. Since lscrev.v drivers with insulated handles are readily available, the slidable terminal clips may be loosened and moved to one position or another without endangering the operator or subjecting him to the possibility of electric shock.

Guide ngers 44, preferably of insulating material, may be provided on the base plate I3 for the purpose of guiding the contact prongs I4 into the slots in the terminal clips I6 to I9 when the meter mechanism II is mounted in place'on the socket I5.

In order to avoid leaving the electrical circuit open when the meter mechanism II is removed, circuit-closing jumpers and 46 may be provided. Each of these jumpers consists of a strip of conducting spring material, such as hard copper or brass, with a straight center portion 41 provided with curved anges or fingers adapted to grip one of the terminal clips to permit the jumper 45 to be supported at one end by the terminal clip. The construction is such that the circuit-closing jumpers 45 and 46 may readily be removed from their supporting terminal clips merely by pulling them away from the fiat botu tom wall of the socket I5. In order that the jumpers 45 and 46 may be supported more securely by the terminal clips, the latter are preferably bent outward at the edges intended to support the jumpers in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 'l to form lips 5I.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the jumpers 45 and 46 are arranged vertically, one being supported by the terminal clip I1 and extending downwardly, and the other being supported by the terminal clip I8 and extending upwardly. In each of the jumpers 45 and 46, the bent end 49 preferably makes an angle of slightly more than ninety degrees with the straight portion 41 and the end 48 is bent at ysuch an angle to the straight portion 41 that the resilience of the jumper 45 or 46 normally tends to cause the end 49 to spring away from the bottom of the Socket I5 in such a manner that it cornes in contact with one of the outer surfaces of the strip portion 36 of the cooperating terminal clip. The arrangement is such that, when the straight portion 41 of the jumper 45 or 46 ispressed downward toward the bottom of the socket I5, the projected length of the jumper shortens and causes the bent end 49 to move away from the strip portion 46 of the terminal clip, as shown in Fig. 3, so asto break the circuit between the terminal clips. Preferably, the straight portion 41 of the jumper 45 or 4.6 carries a bent insulating strip or sheath 52 having a rib portion 53 of such height that, when the meter mechanism I I is mounted in place,` the base plate I3 abuts the ribs 53, depresses the jumpers 45 and 46 to open the short circuits between the terminal clips, and permits the current to ilow through the windings of the meter mechanisrn I I. The height of the rib 53 may be tapered to cause the top edge of the rib to lie substanrially along the base plate I3 when the meter mechanism il and its receptacle I5 are connected and the jumpers 45 and 46 are depressed. Figsl, 2., 3, and 8 illustrate the position of the socket I5 for receiving conduit running in a vertical direction. In the schematic diagram, Fig. 8, the conduit 54 carrying the line conductors and the conduit 55 carrying the load conductors are shown entering the socket I5 from above and below, respectively. The same socketv I5 may be employed for connection to conduit running in a horizontal direction, as shown in Fig. 9, without removing or rearranging any of the terminals I6 to I9 or 24 to 21. In this case, the line conductors 75 56 are connected to the terminals 25 andl. .in-

and bent ends 48 and49. One bent end 48 is stead of to the terminals 24 and 25, and the load conductors 51 are connected to the terminals 24 and 26 instead of to the terminals 26 and 21 when the socket I5 is installed in the location where the meter is to be mounted. Nochanges in any of the parts of the socket need be made, however, so

that only one type of socket need be stocked by central station companies for installation with either vertical or horizonal conduit.

Owing to the equidistant spacing of the prongs I4 and the terminal clips I6 to I9 and owing to4 the fact that the terminal clips are provided with both longitudinal and cross slots, the meter mechanism II is mounted in its normal position with the dial 58 upwards regardless of whether the socket I5 is installed in the position shown in Fig. 8 or at ninety degrees thereto in the position shown in Fig. 9. If it is desired to mount the meter mechanism in placefor the purpose of locking the sealing the meter and the terminal connections to prevent unauthorized tampering therewith or unauthorized connection to the power circuits, this may bedone even when it is desired to disconnect the service. If the meter mechanism I I is to be mounted with the electric service disconnected, .the terminal clip I6 is first slid to the right and the terminal clip I9 is slid to the left (with respect to Fig. 2 or 8) by loosening the nuts 40. 'I'his can beI done whether the socket I5 is installed in the manner shown in Fig. 8 or in the manner shown in Fig. 9.

If the installation of Fig. 8 is to be provided with circuit-closing jumpers, the jumpers 45 and 46 are slipped on to the terminal clips I1 and I8 in the manner already described and the use of the jumpers interferes in no way with the disconnecting feature obtained by sliding the clip I6 and I9 horizontally.

If the circuit-maintaining feature is'to be provided in the installation of Fig. 9, the jumpers 45 and 46 are slipped over the terminal clips I6 and I9 as illustrated in Fig. l1 instead of over the clips I1 and I8 and, of course, in this case, it is necessary to leave the terminal clips I6 and I9 fastened in the circuit-connecting position as long as the 4jumpers 45 are in use. If it is desired to disconnect the service, however, the jumpers 45 and 46 are merely slipped off and the clips I6 and I9 are then slid tothe disconnecting position. A

The meter-receiving socket shown in Figs. 1 to 3 may also be used in case the T or X arrangement of conduit is desired. For example, in Fig. 10 is shown the T connection with the horizontal conduit 54 carrying line' conductors which run through the socket I5 and a vertical conduit 55 carrying load conductors connected to terminals 24 .and 26. The electrical arrangement is the same as that shown in Fig. 9. However, to accommodate the vertical 55, it is necessary to drill an opening 59, represented by dotted lines in Fig. 2, through the side wall of the socket I5 ation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent 'the best embodiment thereof out I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may' be carried out by other means.

cgi

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A detachable electrical instrument comprising in combination, an instrument mechanism mounted on a base plate with four hat contact prongs mounted thereon at the four corners of a square and extending through said base plate, and a receptacle for said instrument mechanism, said receptacle comprising in combination, a base, four cross-slotted split terminal clips mounted thereon at the four corners of a square, each clip having parallel contact surfaces between which a longitudinal slot is formed, each clip having its contact surfaces perpendicular to those of the clips on adjacent corners o the square but parallel to those of the clip on the diagonally opposite corner of the square, each clip having a cross-slot forming cooperating contact edges and being in line with the longitudinal slot in one of the adjacent clips, one of the clips being mounted to be slidable from the position normally occupied by the corresponding contact prong when the instrument mechanism and the receptacle are united, and a circuit-closing jumper, attached at one end to one of the terminal clips, having a free end extending towards one of the adjacent terminal clips and resiliently engaging it when said instrument mechanism is separated from its receptacle, but being depressed by the base plate oi said instrument mechanism to disengage the terminal clip when the instrument mechanism and its receptacle are united.

2. A detachable electrical instrument comprising in combination, an instrument mechanism having a set of four terminal contacts and a receptacle for receiving said instrument mechanism comprising in combination, a base, and a set of four terminal contacts mounted thereon at the four corners of a square to cooperate with said rst mentioned set of contacts, one set of contacts comprising flat prongs and the other set comprising cross-slotted split terminal clips, each clip having parallel contact surfaces between which a longitudinal slot is formed and having a cross slot forming cooperating contact edges, each slot in each clip being in line with and parallel with one of the slots of the clip on the adjacent corner of the square.

3. detachable electrical instrument comprising in combination, an instrument mechanism having a set or" tour terminal contacts thereon and a receptacle for receiving said instrument mechanism comprising in combination, a base,

and set of four terminal contacts mounted thereon at the four corners or square to coopcrate with. said iirst mentioned set or contacts, one set o contacts comprising giat contact prongs and the other set comprising split terminal clips, each clip having parallel contact surfaces between which a longitudinal slot is formed, each clip having its contact surfaces perpendicular to those of the clip on the adjacent corners of the square but parallel to those of the clip on the diagonally opposite corner of the square.

1. A detachable electrical instrument comprising in combination, an instrument mechanism having a set oi terminal contacts, a receptacle for said instrument mechanism comprising in combination, a base, and a set of terminal contacts mounted thereon and adapted to cooperate with the contacts on said instrument mechanism, one set oi contacts comprising contact prongs and the other set comprising terminal clips, one of the contacts oi one' of said sets being mounted te slldable from the position which is normally aroaaee occupied by the corresponding contact of the other set when said instrument mechanism and its receptacle are united.

5. A detachable electrical instrument comprising in combination, an instrument mechanism having a set of terminal contacts and a receptacle for receiving said instrument mechanism comprising in combination, a base, a set of terminal contacts mounted thereon to cooperate with the contacts of said instrument mechanism, and a circuit-closing jumper attached at one end to one of the terminal contacts of said receptacle, having a free end extending towards one of the other terminal contacts of said receptacle and resiliently engaging it when said instrument mechanism and its receptacle are separated, but being adapted to be depressed by said instrument mechanism to disengage the terminal contact when the instrument mechanism and its receptacle are united.

6. A receptacle for a detachable electrical device with two pairs of terminals comprising in combination, a base, four cross-slotted split terminal clips mounted thereon at the ioiu corners of a square, each clip having parallel contact surfaces between which a longitudinal slot is formed, each clip having its contact surfaces perpendicular to those of the clips on adjacent corners of the square but parallel to 'those of the clip on the diagonally opposite corner of the square, each clip having a cross-slot forming cooperating contact edges and being in line with the longitudinal slot in one of the adjacent clips, one of the clips being slidably mounted, and a circuit-closing jumper attached at one end to one of the terminal clips, having a free end extending towards one of the adjacent terminal clips, and resiliently engaging it, but being yieldable to disengage the terminal clip.

7. A receptacle for a detachable electrical device with two pairs of terminals comprising in combination, a base, and four cross-slotted split terminal clips mounted thereon at the four coi'- ners of a square, each clip having parallel contact surfaces between which a longitudinal slot is "formed, each clip having its contact surfaces perpendicular to those of the clips on the adjacent corners of the square but parallel to those oi the clip on the diagonally opposite corner oi the square, each clip having a cross slot forming cooperating contact edges and being in line with the longitudinal slot in one of the adjacent clips.

8. A receptacle for a detachable electrical device comprising in combination, a base, a plurality of cross-slotted split terminal clips mounted thereon, each clip having parallel contact surfaces between which a longitudinal slot is formed, each clip having a cross-slot forming cooperating Contact edges and being in line with the longitudinai slot in one of the adjacent clips.

9. A receptacle for a detachable electrical device with two pairs o terminals comprising in combination, a base, and four split terminal clips mounted thereon at the four corners of a square, each clip having parallel contact surfaces between which a longitudinal slot is formed, each clip having its contact surfaces perpendicular to those of the clips on the adjacent corners of the square but parallel to those of the clip on the diagonally opposite corner of the square.

l0. A receptacle for a detachable electrical device adapted to be sealed thereto comprising in combination, a base and a plurality of terminal clips mounted thereon, one of said clips being slidably mounted.

l1. A receptacle for a detachable electrical de vice comprising in combination, a base, a plurality of terminal clips mounted thereon, and a circuit-closing jumper attached at one end to one of the terminal clips, having a free end eX- tending towards one of the other terminallips and resiliently engaging it, but being depressible to disengage the terminal clip.

l2. A clip formed from a strip of sheet metal with ends bent back upon themselves but spaced from the central portions of the strip, the central portions of the strip being bent up in a U-shape to bring the bent-back ends towards each other and parallel to form a longitudinal slot therebetween, the clip having a slot therein transverse to said longitudinal slot, cut through the original end and central portions of said strip, the spacing between the edges of said transverse slot being greater in the original central portion of the strip than in the original end portions of the strip.

13. A clip composed of resilient strip material having a reentrant U-shaped cross section with a main U -portion and reentrant parallel end portions between the arms of the main U-portion forming a longitudinal slot, the clip having a` slot therein transverse to said longitudinal slot, intersecting the arms and the reentrant end portions of said U, and having strip portions par- CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,105,596.

allel to said transverse slot along the edges thereof and supporetd by said reentrant end portions of said reentrant U.

14. A jumper for an electrical device comprising a strip of resilient electrically conducting material bent at the ends, one end being bent at an angle slightly exceeding 90 degrees and the other end being bent at such an angle that it tends to spring back to 90 degrees when flexed to an angle of less than 90 degrees, said latter end having curved transverse extensions thereon adapted to grasp an electrical terminal of substantially the :ame width as said strip at said latter end.

15. In combination, a jumper for an electrical device comprising a strip of resilient electricallyconducting material bent at the ends, one end being bent at an angle slightly exceeding 90 degrees and the other end being bent in the same direction at such an angle that it tendsto spring back to 90 degrees when flexed to an angle of less than 90 degrees, said latter end having means therein for grasping the sides of a supporting terminal, and an insulating sheath curved to grasp the edges of the central portion of said strip and being ribbed in a direction away from the direction in which said ends are bent, said rib tapering to decreasing height towards the supported end of said strip.

' HANS A. BAKKE.

HANSv A. BAKKE.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5 second column, line 20, for

"the" first occurrence, read and; and that the said Letters `Patent should be read with this correction therein that the may .conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of February, A. D. 1958.'

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

DISOLAI M ER 2,l05,396.-Hans A. Bakkc, Swampscott,

Patent dated January 1l,

Mass. ELECTRIC METER MOUNTING. Disclaimer led June 9, 1939, by the assignee, General Electric Company. Hereby disclaims the improvement described in claim 5 except Where the circuitclosing jumper is supported solely by the terminal contact is adapted to be depressed toward hereby disclaims the improvement described 1n and the circuit-closing jumper receptacle, and your petitioner,

claim l l except Where the circuit-closing jumper is supported to which it is attached the base of the solely by the terminal clip to which it is attached and the circuit-closing jumper is adapted to be depressed toward the base of the receptacle.

[Oficial Gazette July 4, 1.939.]

Same 

